Russian school attackers 'more numerous' than officials said

A special forces soldier said terrorists who seized more than 1,000 hostages in a school two months ago were more numerous than the government claimed, a Russian newspaper reported today.

Russian officials have said 32 raiders took part in the September attack on the school in the southern town of Beslan that ended in a hail of gunfire and explosions, killing more than 330 hostages. They said 31 attackers were killed and one captured.

But the soldier, who was identified only by his first name, Vasily, told newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda that he had personally seen 49 terrorists dead and three captured after the seizure ended. He claimed 13 more attackers managed to escape.

He said that in addition to Nur-Pashi Kulayev, the authorities had also captured Vladimir Khodov – one of the terrorists’ leaders – and a woman suicide bomber whom he did not identify.

The soldier said the authorities were keeping the detentions secret in the interests of the investigation. Khodov was considered a close aide to Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, who has claimed responsibility for the school seizure and other terror attacks in Russia, and authorities may be redoubling their efforts to find him.

The soldier said that most of the terrorists had quietly gathered in the school prior to the seizure.